Musical Stories: Pop meets Sudan

Musical Stories: Pop meets Sudan is a one-time event in which the beauty of Sudanese music will be placed in the spotlights.

In a time in which Sudan is being plagued by huge conflicts, the Sudanese community in the Netherlands holds an extra strong desire for connection, hope, and the celebration of Sudan’s beauty and culture. It was this wish that drove the organisation of “Musical Stories: Pop meets Sudan” to create this event, and invite for an adventurous exchange between the beauty of Sudanese music with fantastic Amsterdam-based pop musicians. A unique opportunity to see what happens when these two worlds are brought together! Through musical stories – connected through the theme of water – we hear where the Sudanese Nile and the Amsterdam Canals meet. And through personal stories we hear from each of the artists what their connection is to the theme of the evening. An event for everyone who cares for Sudan, and who wants to celebrate the cultural beauty that always prevails, even amidst the most intense conflicts.

There will also be the possibility to donate to funds that will arrive to the right destinations directly through the Sudanese community in Amsterdam.

Hoosam - piano
Noori - guitar/tanbur
Pitou - voice
Shishani - voice/guitar

About the musicians:
From a young age, singer and pianist Hoosam has been discovering the world through music. In Khartum, he played in the band Aswat Almadina (“sounds of the city”): a collective combining Sudanese urban with pop. In the Netherlands he worked with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and uses music in various ways to actively connect the Sudanese community in the Netherlands.

In the nineties, the 18-year old Noori bumped into a guitar neck in Port Sudan. He combined this part with the traditional Sudanese tanbur (a string instrument) that his father had given to him. Noori used this new instrument to honour the music of the resilient Beja-community.

With her colourful mix of classical influences, rich vocal arrangements and her mesmerizing voice, singer-songwriter Pitou has been steadily building a successful career. Not only did she perform at the biggest festivals and venues such as Lowlands, Into the Great Wide Open and Paradiso, but with her open and curious mindset she also collaborated with a large number of artists throughout 2024 with her “year of collaboration & experiment”.

Singer-songwriter Shishani uses her soothing voice, her skilful guitar playing and her beautiful songs to fight in various and powerful ways for a better and more just world. She also lets the sounds, texts and rhythms from her Namibian roots find their way to her music. Shishani won multiple awards and toured worldwide, from Amsterdam Roots Festival to Glastonbury (UK), Lake of Stars (Malawi) to a wide range of stages from South Africa to Russia, China and of course Namibia.